YOUR LOCAL POST OFFICE

Everyone has seen the seemingly ubiquitous blue metal cans known as mailboxes. However, as ubiquitous as they may seem, I have found it entirely possible to drive around town for several hours doing various errands, all the while looking for one of those otherwise ubiquitous boxes, and never spotting a single one.

Experiencing this phenomenon one day, I came home and decided to call my local Post Office to find out if they might by any chance have a map showing the location of mailboxes in town. (I know, fat chance! But all one can do is try.) Looking in my local phone book I found phone numbers for each of the local post offices in my city. The same 1-800 number applied to all!

Calling the number for my local office (or was it the downtown office?), I went through their magical and inspirational menu system waiting for a menu item that stated "mailbox locations" (right!). Not finding any such entry, I happily pushed buttons until I came to an option that asked me to enter my local zip code in order to get the location and phone number of my local post office, which I did. No such information was forthcoming.

However, after several more button pushes I did have the good fortune to speak with a real live person. After explaining to her in detail, as I am accustomed to do, just what I thought of their menu system, I was about to ask her if she knew whether or not there was a map showing local mailbox locations, when I thought that perhaps I should double check something. Sure enough, upon questioning, the woman at the other end of the phone revealed that she knew nothing of Eugene, Oregon, in spite of my having punched in my local zip code.

What do you suppose the lady told me? That I should call my local post office!